Vacuum urinal assembly

ABSTRACT

A vacuum urinal assembly includes a shell portion, operational means, and vacuum discharge means. In order to achieve a streamlined arrangement, the shell portion is formed as a substantially unitary body, whereby the operational means comprise a level sensor means and a vacuum-operated discharge valve in fluid communication with a pipe system. The shell portion is arranged to support the operational means within the shell portion.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention generally relates to vacuum collection devices and, more particularly, to a vacuum-operated urinal.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Previously, urinal devices typically have a complex structure including a multipartite shell and with a number of operational components on the back side of a wall supporting the urinal shell. Some previous devices use a separate box or enclosure beside the urinal shell for the operational means. Previous urinals may also include a water trap within the urinal shell. Consequently, known urinal arrangements require a relatively large amount of space and the assembly and mounting of such urinals is laborious and time consuming, whereby also any maintenance or corresponding measures are made overly difficult.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] An object of the present invention is to avoid the disadvantages of previous urinal arrangements and to achieve a streamlined urinal assembly providing a reliable function.

[0004] To achieve this, an arrangement for a urinal is provided wherein a set of operational means can be enclosed and supported within a substantially unitary shell portion of the urinal. The shell includes a bowl portion defining a discharge opening, whereby the operational means comprise a level sensor means and a vacuum operated discharge valve means in fluid communication with a pipe system. In this manner, the urinal can be mounted and supported on a wall, whereby the urinal basically only requires an outside vacuum sewer discharge connection, connectable to the pipe system, and a power supply connection.

[0005] The discharge opening is preferably arranged in fluid communication with a sensor chamber provided with the level sensor means, whereby the sensor chamber is in fluid communication with the vacuum operated discharge valve means.

[0006] An advantageous embodiment of the urinal arrangement further comprises a rinse water means supported within the shell portion.

[0007] The operational means are advantageously mounted on a back plate fastenable to the shell portion.

[0008] The vacuum-operated discharge valve means is advantageously operated by vacuum derivable from the pipe system through a first vacuum supply valve means.

[0009] Vacuum is provided to the pipe system by way of a vacuum generation means and vacuum sewer piping.

[0010] In order to facilitate operation of the urinal arrangement, the operational means are connected to a control unit provided with an activator means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] In the following, the present invention is described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the attached schematic drawings, in which:

[0012]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum urinal assembly in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

[0013]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a set of operational means;

[0014]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a set of operational means; and

[0015]FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a vacuum urinal connected to vacuum collection apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] The present invention relates to a vacuum urinal assembly, the operation of which is discussed in connection with FIG. 4.

[0017] In the figures the shell portion of the urinal is generally indicated by reference numeral 1. The shell portion 1, which according to the invention comprises a substantially unitary body, e.g., of a ceramic or steel material, is mounted against a wall or the like (not shown) in a conventional manner.

[0018] The operational means 3 are mounted on a back plate 2, which is fastened to the back side 4 of the shell portion 1 by fastening means, such as screws 5 or the like, whereby the operational means 3 are enclosed within the outer boundaries formed by the shell portion 1 and the back plate 2. The shell portion comprises a urinal bowl portion 11 with a discharge opening 12 approximately at the bottom of the bowl portion 11. The back plate could of course be fastened to the same wall portion as the shell portion.

[0019] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the operational means 3 comprise a sensor chamber 31, a level sensor 32 for monitoring the flush operation through the sensor chamber 31, a vacuum-operated discharge valve 33 and a pipe system 34, which is arranged to be connected to a vacuum sewer piping 90 (FIG. 4) by a discharge connection (not shown) at the location of the urinal.

[0020] The operational means 3 further comprise a first vacuum supply valve 35 that is in fluid communication with the pipe system 34 through a suction line 36 that taps into the pipe system 34 and respectively with the vacuum-operated discharge valve 33 through a valve line 37. Partial vacuum is created in the pipe system 34 by an intermittently operated vacuum generating means 100 (FIG. 4). The partial vacuum is used to operate the vacuum operated discharge valve 33 by way of said first vacuum supply valve 35 and the suction and valve lines 36, 37.

[0021] The second embodiment of the operational means 3 shown in FIG. 3 corresponds to the one disclosed in connection with FIG. 2 and further comprises a rinse water means 38 provided with a rinse water supply line 39. The rinse water means 38 provides rinse water to the urinal bowl portion 11 during a flush sequence. The rinse water means 38 is preferably operated by vacuum by way of a second vacuum supply valve 40, to which control vacuum is provided through vacuum line 41 (FIG. 4) from the vacuum generation means 100.

[0022] The operation of the urinal arrangement is discussed mainly with reference to FIG. 4. When the urinal has been used and disposable waste has been received in the urinal bowl portion 11, an activator means, for example a flush button 6, is activated by a user in order to commence the flush sequence, whereby a signal is sent via a control unit 7 to the vacuum generation means 100, e.g. an ejector means. This flush signal activates the intermittently operated vacuum generation means 100 creating a given partial vacuum (e.g., from about −18 kPa up to about −35 kPa) in the vacuum sewer piping 90, optionally including a retention tank 91, and the pipe system 34. The partial vacuum level is controlled by a vacuum switch 71 connected to the control unit 7. The operation of the vacuum generation means 100 is shut off when the desired vacuum level has been reached. Reference numeral 8 indicates a power supply connection for the control unit 7.

[0023] When the given partial vacuum level has been reached the control unit 7 activates the rinse water means 38 (if provided), by way of the second vacuum supply valve 40 connected by the vacuum line 41 to the vacuum generation means 100. The rinse water means 38 delivers a given rinse water amount (e.g., approximately 0.2 to 0.3 liters) to the shell 1, so that the urinal bowl portion 11 is flushed. At the same time, the control unit 7 activates the first vacuum supply valve 35 so that partial vacuum is directed from the pipe system 34 through the suction line 36, the first vacuum supply valve 35, and the valve line 37 to the vacuum operated discharge valve 33. This opens the discharge valve 33, whereby the disposable waste is discharged from the urinal bowl portion 11 through the discharge opening 12 and further through the sensor chamber 31 and the discharge valve 33 into the pipe system 34 which leads to the vacuum sewer piping 90 and the retention tank 91.

[0024] After the flush sequence has been carried out, the control unit 7, provided with a time control, will close the partial vacuum connection through the first vacuum supply valve 35 in order to close the discharge valve 33.

[0025] Alternatively, the flush sequence may be activated by the level sensor means 32 provided in the sensor chamber 31. The level sensor means is preferably made responsive to a given amount of disposable waste (e.g., approximately 0.15 to 0.20 liters of fluid) collecting in the urinal bowl portion 11 and the discharge opening 12. The level sensor means 32 is connected to the control unit 7 and is arranged to provide a signal to the control unit 7 in a similar manner as the flush button 6 described above for commencing the flush sequence.

[0026] The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as modifications would be obvious to those skilled in the art. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A vacuum urinal assembly for use with a pipe system in fluid communication with a vacuum source, the vacuum urinal assembly comprising: a shell portion comprising a substantially unitary body; operational means including a level sensor and a vacuum-operated discharge valve adapted for fluid communication with the pipe system, and vacuum discharge means, wherein the shell portion supports the operational means within the shell portion.
 2. The vacuum urinal assembly of claim 1, in which the shell portion comprises a bowl portion with a discharge opening.
 3. The vacuum urinal assembly of claim 2, in which the discharge opening is in fluid communication with a sensor chamber provided with the level sensor, and in which the sensor chamber is in fluid communication with the vacuum operated discharge valve.
 4. The vacuum urinal assembly of claim 1, in which the operational means further comprises a rinse water means supported within the shell portion.
 5. The vacuum urinal assembly of claim 4, in which a back plate is fastened to a back side of the shell portion, and in which the operational means are mounted on the back plate.
 6. The vacuum urinal assembly of claim 1, in which the vacuum-operated discharge valve fluidly communicates with the pipe system through a first vacuum supply valve.
 7. The vacuum urinal assembly claim 6, in which a suction line extends between the pipe system and the first vacuum supply valve and a valve line extends between the first vacuum supply valve and the vacuum-operated discharge valve to establish fluid communication between the pipe system and the vacuum-operated discharge valve.
 8. The vacuum urinal assembly of claim 1, in which the pipe system fluidly communication with the vacuum source through vacuum sewer piping.
 9. The vacuum urinal assembly of claim 8, in which the vacuum sewer piping comprises a retention tank.
 10. The vacuum urinal assembly of claim 8, in which the rinse water means is vacuum-operated, and in that the rinse water means is connected to the vacuum source by a second vacuum supply valve and a vacuum line.
 11. The vacuum urinal assembly of claim 1, in which a control unit is operably coupled to the assembly and includes an activator means.
 12. The vacuum urinal assembly of claim 1, in which a back plate is fastened to a back side of the shell portion, and in which the operational means are mounted on the back plate. 